With the clock ticking on Nissan’s participation at Le Mans 24 Hours, check out our video (above), which features some smart graphics and an interview with Ben Bowlby, concept originator of the Nissan DeltaWing. The renowned race starts June 16.

The pioneering DeltaWing, which has half the weight and uses half the fuel of its conventional counterparts, is part of Nissan’s large on-track presence at Le Mans, which includes providing 13 of 20 powerplants in the competitive LMP2 class.

Racers in the LMP2 segment include the first two graduates of the Nissan-backed GT Academy initiative will be vying for victory. Spaniard Lucas Ordonez and Jordan Tresson of France were the first two champions of the scheme, which has made motorsport careers a reality for Playstation 3 gamers.

Ordonez finished second in in his Le Mans debut last year and hopes to go one better in 2012, racing alongside ex-Formula One driver, Martin Brundle and his son, Alex, in the Greaves Motorsport team. Meanwhile Tresson makes his Le Mans bow in the all-French Signatech Nissan squad.

Greaves Motorsport's Lucas Ordonez with Martin and Alex Brundle

Off the track, the latest in Nissan’s sports hardware will be on display. The Juke-R concept, which Nissan has agreed to a limited build of 23 cars, will join the very first production version of the Juke Nismo as a static display in the Village and will also take part in the Driver’s Parade in central Le Mans on Friday, June 15.

For those (including me) not lucky enough to be at Le Mans, we’ll be posting reports and streaming live via www.nissan-global.com.